Reaction Paper: The Crucible by Arthur Miller

Summary: This essay is a reaction paper of Arthur Miller's play 'The Crucible'. It was written during the red scare. It explains what mass hysteria can do to a society.

Destruction of a world by one lie

The Crucible, a play by Arthur Miller, exposes how one misconception, one lie could lead to a disastrous situation. It is a play about the Salem Witch trials, written during the midst of the red scare. In Salem, a single conviction was enough to convict someone of witchcraft and be sentenced to death. It is one of the great examples of mass hysteria and frenzy. Dante Alighieri, a true Catholic and the writer of " The Divine Comedy", defines sin as something that corrupts judgment between the good and the evil. He mentions, in his three poems, seven sins. They are Pride, Envy, Wrath, Sloth, Greed, Gluttony and Lust. By definition lust is the opposite of self-control, and it is said to be self-destructive. Envy clashes with love and signifies hatred of others and their assets. Greed is the opposite of generosity...